What Is the Asamkirche?

Asamkirche's official name is St. Johann Nepomuk Church, and it was built between 1733 and 1746 by brothers Cosmas Damian Asam (a painter) and Egid Quirin Asam (a sculptor) — not as a commission, but as their own private chapel, funded and designed for their own purposes next door to their residence, the Asamhaus. Legend holds the brothers credited St. John Nepomuk with protecting their boat during a dangerous journey on the Danube, which is why the finished church carries his name and a relic associated with him. Public demand eventually forced the brothers to open the church to the wider parish rather than keep it private.

What makes the building remarkable is its scale: squeezed into a standard row of townhouses on Sendlinger Straße, the church is only about 8 meters wide and 22 meters deep, yet its interior ranks among the most important surviving examples of southern German late Baroque design. The Asam brothers built the space as a vertical journey — a darker lower level representing worldly suffering, a white-and-blue middle tier historically reserved for the Holy Roman Emperor, and a brightly lit upper level symbolizing heaven. Cosmas Damian's ceiling fresco depicts the life of St. John Nepomuk, and the high altar is framed by dramatic spiral columns beneath a gilded depiction of God the Father. Seven confessionals line the nave — Asamkirche is still an active parish confession church today, now administered by the neighboring St. Peter parish.

The church suffered heavy bomb damage to its choir in 1944 during the Second World War. A careful restoration between 1975 and 1983 returned the interior to its documented 18th-century appearance, which is largely what visitors see today.

Tickets & Prices 2026

There is no admission charge to enter Asamkirche, and there has never been a standard "ticket" for visiting the nave — this is a working parish church, not a museum with a box office. A small donation box near the entrance supports the building's upkeep, and dropping a euro or two in is appreciated but never required.

So what are the "Asamkirche tickets" listings on sites like GetYourGuide, Tiqets, or Trip.com actually selling? Almost always one of two things: a guided Old Town walking tour with Asamkirche as a brief stop, priced for the tour as a whole rather than the church; or a ticket to a scheduled classical concert staged inside, listed on platforms such as Classictic or Songkick, which requires payment for that performance only. Unless you're booking a tour or attending a concert, there is nothing to purchase — you simply walk in during opening hours.

Opening Hours & Best Time to Go

As published by the administering St. Peter parish, Asamkirche runs a seasonal schedule: from April through October, it's open 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM every day except Friday, when it opens later at 1:00 PM and closes at 7:00 PM. From November through March, the hours shift earlier in the evening — 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM, with Friday again starting at 1:00 PM and running to 6:00 PM. Holy Mass is celebrated every Sunday and public holiday at 10:00 AM, and general sightseeing access can be limited for roughly the hour around the service, so plan around that window if your visit falls on a Sunday morning.

This Friday late-opening pattern held steady across sources checked in mid-2026, but as with any active parish church, confirm same-day hours around a religious holiday, since services can shift access without notice.

The best time to visit is a weekday morning shortly after the 9:00 AM opening (or shortly after 1:00 PM on Fridays), before the pedestrian zone around Sendlinger Straße and Marienplatz fills up at midday. Because the interior is so compact, even a handful of visitors can make it feel busy — arriving early gives you a few quiet minutes to actually look up at the ceiling fresco rather than shuffle past it.

How Long to Plan

Budget 15 to 20 minutes for Asamkirche. It's one of the smallest churches in central Munich, and there's no separate paid area, tower, or ticketed route to extend the visit — you take in the nave, the fresco, the high altar, and the stucco work in a single unhurried pass. It pairs naturally with a longer walk rather than standing as a destination on its own; most visitors fold it into a broader stroll through the Sendlinger Straße pedestrian zone toward Marienplatz.

How to Get There

Asamkirche sits at Sendlinger Straße 32, 80331 München, built directly into a row of townhouses in the pedestrian shopping street connecting Sendlinger Tor and Marienplatz. The closest U-Bahn station is Sendlinger Tor (lines U1, U2, U3, and U6), a short walk north along Sendlinger Straße. Marienplatz station — served by every S-Bahn line and U-Bahn lines U3 and U6 — sits a few minutes' walk in the other direction, making the church an easy add-on whichever direction you're coming from.

On foot from Munich Hauptbahnhof (the main train station), it's roughly a 15-to-18-minute walk through the pedestrianized shopping streets, or a single U-Bahn stop to Sendlinger Tor if you'd rather not walk the whole way.

Visit Tips: Queues, Booking & Mistakes

There's nothing to book and, in practice, no queue — the church is free, self-guided, and small enough that visitors move through steadily. The entrance is easy to walk straight past: look for a narrow doorway wedged between shop fronts, marked above the portal by a statue of St. John Nepomuk flanked by two carved rock formations. It doesn't look like a church from the street, which is why first-time visitors often miss it entirely.

Because Asamkirche is an active place of worship, keep voices down, switch off camera flash, and be mindful of anyone in prayer, particularly near the confessionals. If your visit lands on a Sunday morning, expect access to be more limited around the 10:00 AM Mass — come earlier or later in the day for the full, unrestricted look at the interior.

The most common mistake is assuming a paid "ticket" purchase is necessary because of what shows up in search results — booking an unneeded guided-tour package when a free, five-minute walk-in visit is all that's required unless you specifically want a guided history tour or are attending a scheduled concert. The second most common mistake is showing up on a Friday morning expecting the usual 9:00 AM opening and finding the doors still closed until 1:00 PM.

Nearby Attractions

Asamkirche sits directly on the walking route between Sendlinger Tor and the old town core, putting several major sights within easy reach. Marienplatz and the Neues Rathaus are a short walk north along Sendlinger Straße, home to the Glockenspiel show and the town hall's viewing platform. The Viktualienmarkt food market sits just off Marienplatz — a good lunch stop before or after the church. For a longer indoor stop, the Munich Residenz, the former royal palace of the Bavarian monarchs, is a further walk north and works well as a rainy-day pairing.

Because it's easy to miss from the street, Asamkirche is a regular feature on lists of Munich's overlooked sights — it's covered in our guide to hidden gems in Munich alongside other spots that don't make the postcard-famous list but reward a short detour. If you're mapping out a longer stay, our 2-day Munich itinerary shows where a quick Asamkirche stop fits alongside the rest of the old town.

Frequently Asked Questions